


My Boy

by thisisnotourlasthunt



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Adopted Peter Parker, And posting it instead of being in online classes, Anxiety Attacks, Everyone Needs A Hug, F/M, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Father-Son Relationship, Hugs, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I'll be mad if anyone thinks of this fic that way, Light Angst, Like, Men Crying, NOT STARKER - Freeform, Nightmares, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Not Canon Compliant, Panic Attacks, Peter Parker Calls Tony Stark "Dad", Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Kissing, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Separation Anxiety, Singing, Song Lyrics, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony is very much alive, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, altho they get it in the end, because that is okay, but alive, mentioned tho - Freeform, on the cheeks and forehead, they deserve happiness, they say i love you, with a bit of Angst, without his arm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-25 04:00:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30083127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thisisnotourlasthunt/pseuds/thisisnotourlasthunt
Summary: “Well, I’ve been thinking about it and I think going back to queens is the best option right now.”“I-” Peter began with a wavery voice before being cut off by May.“Shush, I’m not done.” May smiled fondly. “I can’t stay here, but you can.”“Wha-what?” Peter’s scared face morphed into a completely confused expression as May’s voice turned soft and a tear slipped down her cheek.“Peter,” Pepper began, leaning to grab Peter’s hands as tears began forming in her eyes. “We talked about it and if you want to stay here, Tony and I could be your legal guardians and, if that’s what you want, we could adopt you.”Peter went still for a minute as he processed the words, but as he did, tears were already falling down his eyes.Or: Post endgame where Tony lives and the Starks adopt Peter + song fic.[I'm bad at summaries, but the story is good.][Note from my beta, get tissues before reading.]
Relationships: May Parker & Peter Parker, May Parker (Spider-Man) & Pepper Potts, May Parker (Spider-Man) & Peter Parker & Pepper Potts & Tony Stark, May Parker (Spider-Man) & Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 20
Kudos: 106
Collections: My personal favorite Irondad fanfics out there





	My Boy

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Deutsch available: [My Boy - Übersetzung](https://archiveofourown.org/works/30143388) by [ceeliinee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ceeliinee/pseuds/ceeliinee)



> TW: Referenced Separation Anxiety, Mentioned Panic and Anxiety Attacks, Nightmares, Mentioned Past Alcoholism.
> 
> Note from my Beta, make sure you have tissues ready.
> 
> Disclaimer, my first language isn't english so if there's any mistake please let me know. Also let me know if there is any tag or TW I missed and you think it should be tagged.
> 
> Title inspired by the song 'My Boy' by Elvie Shane.

To say that Tony was nervous would be an understatement. He felt as if he was seconds away from throwing up from the nerves. After Peter had been dusted and Tony had almost died in their last fight with Thanos, the pair became inseparable. Peter would rarely leave Tony’s side while the latter healed in Wakanda. The only times he did leave were either because someone, usually Pepper and/or May, would practically beg him to go out and shower and have a full meal or because the doctors needed to change Tony’s bandages and therefore Peter had to leave.

When Tony finally woke up a month later, it became challenging. Given their traumatic experience and both of them practically seeing the other die, they built a separation anxiety and could only be separated for exactly thirty minutes before they both started panicking. (The way they found out had not been pleasant.) 

When Tony was discharged from the hospital, May and Peter moved to the cabin with the Starks. (Not only for Peter and Tony but because May had also been snapped, and there was a new family at their old apartment). They became a small somewhat blended family.

Slowly, their separation anxiety began to recede, and they could leave each other’s side for a while. Pepper and May didn’t push them to overcome this coping mechanism, because that's what it was, and instead helped them as much as they could, when they were not working, along with Morgan. 

By the end of the second month, they felt safe enough to separate themselves for a full school day, sometimes Decathlon practices included! They did text the other every two hours or call the other when the anxiety was reaching its highest levels, and yes, sometimes it ended up with Peter having to leave school early and them having to stick onto the other’s side for the rest of the day, but they were getting there.***

Months passed this way the Parkers and the Starks grew closer to one another. May became Morgan’s ‘Aty May’ (she couldn’t say Auntie correctly and she hated it but May told her she liked Aty, so it stuck), best friend with Pepper, Happy’s partner, and co-parent of Peter with Pepper and Tony. Peter became Morgan’s big brother, and Pepper’s and Tony’s kid (he even started calling them mom and dad), not that he wasn’t before the snap.

Then, ten months later, May told Pepper and Tony they had to talk once the children were asleep. Tony had expected May to tell them that she and Peter would have to leave and go back to queens, it was getting difficult for May to drive to the hospital from four am to get in time at six o’clock and return until three am given that the drive was long. What he hadn’t expected was for her to tell them that if they, and Peter, wanted, she could give her legal guardianship over Peter to them. 

“A-are you su-sure about this?” Pepper asked after the initial shock lowered.

“Totally, it isn’t like we will disappear from each other’s life once it’s signed. Plus, you two are already his parents, I don’t know why I didn’t think of this sooner, to be honest.” May smiled encouragingly at them.

Tony couldn’t believe it. Peter had been like his own child since before the snap, but Tony hadn’t realized this until he had lost the kid. The first year without Peter had been full of grief and guilt, his heart aching on those rare days where he went down to his and Peter’s lab and turned to show something to the boy just to remember that he was not there anymore. The many sleepless nights where Tony could hear Peter’s pleading voice that he didn’t want to go. The look in the boy’s eyes as their eyes met for the last time as Peter’s body turned into ash and were blown away by the wind.

After five years of Tony slowly learning to live with that grief and guilt. Pepper and him had gotten married and had a beautiful daughter. It still hurt, but it was getting better. Then the others came to him with a new idea, a new possibility, but he didn’t want to risk the family he had left, so he told them to leave. That same night was his turn to do the dishes and he couldn’t help but look at the picture of him and Peter. He had been so proud of him, he was proud of him. 

Mostly out of spite, Tony went over Scott’s theory and was actually surprised that it worked. Later that night, as he tucked the goblin to bed and told him she loved him 3000, memories of Peter flooded his mind. He couldn’t give up now, especially since there was a new hope for him to reunite with Peter. With his son. 

When they finally reunited, and he had his arms wrapped around his son’s body, he knew it had been the right thing to do.

“M-May, I-I don’t know how to thank you enough!” Tony said as he rushed to reach her in a warm hug.

“There is no need, if he’s happy, then so am I.” Said May with a smile from every corner of her face.

  
  


And that had been it. 

  
  


The next six months went over a blur of lawyers and legal papers so they could finally formerly adopt Peter. Throughout these months, they hadn’t said anything to Peter and made sure to talk about legal processes when he was asleep or outside playing with Morgan. When the papers were approved, Tony had been ecstatic and he just couldn’t wait to tell Peter in the most significant way possible.

A few months back, Rhodey had sent him a song stating that it reminded him of Peter and Tony when he began listening to it. At first, Tony had believed it was a joke of some sort, but after hearing the song he couldn’t help but tear up. 

**_Yeah, he's my son and that's my choice_ **

**_He ain't my blood but he's my, he's my boy_ **

So when the papers were signed and they could finally tell Peter, he just  _ knew _ he had to play that song to Peter, if he agreed to be adopted by them.

So yeah, Tony was nervous as he, Pepper, and May sat Peter down when Morgan was on her afternoon nap, a week after the papers were approved, with May and Pepper sitting in front of him and Tony at his side. The latter could feel Peter’s nervousness from a mile back, but he wasn’t one to judge given that his hands felt clammy with sweat and he had to resist the urge to run a hand through his own hair every few minutes.

“Wha- what’s happening?” Peter stuttered, clearly nervous by the reaction in his eyes, as he turned to look at the three adults.

“Well Peter,” May started, after she took a deep breath, with a genuine smile on her face, Tony didn’t doubt she wanted this to work out. “You know how hard it’s been for me to drive for two hours to the hospital and then here every day, right?” Peter nodded. 

“Well, I’ve been thinking about it and I think going back to queens is the best option right now.” At this, Peter’s breath hitched and unconsciously leaned into Tony, who wrapped his arm around the boy’s shoulder. May smiled at the sight and Tony couldn’t help but smile too. He, not for the first time, understood the reason as to why May was giving Peter to them. 

“I-” Peter began with a wavery voice before being cut off by May.

“Shush, I’m not done.” May smiled fondly. “ _ I _ can’t stay here, but  _ you _ can.”

“Wha-what?” Peter’s scared face morphed into a completely confused expression as May’s voice turned soft and a tear slipped down her cheek.

“Peter,” Pepper began, leaning to grab Peter’s hands as tears began forming in her eyes. “We talked about it and if you want to stay here, Tony and I could be your legal guardians and, if that’s what you want, we could adopt you.” By the end of her monologue, tears were spilling from the three adults’ cheeks.

Peter went still for a minute as he processed the words, but as he did, tears were already falling down his eyes. He turned towards May wide-eyed.

“Really?” His voice was soft and had cracked as he said the word.

“Really,” May chuckled with a big watery smile on her face. 

Peter then turned towards Pepper and then to Tony repeating the same question he had asked May. Tony tightened his arm around the boy and chuckled as a tear ran down his own eyes and confirmed that yes, this was really happening.

“Really.”

Almost instantly, Peter's face crumpled and turned to tuck his face on Tony’s neck as he wrapped his arms around Tony’s middle. As fast as Peter had turned towards him, Tony’s arms wrapped tightly around the boy and his face was buried on those brown curls Tony would run his fingers on whenever Peter was in distress. 

After a full minute where Peter was only his, Tony ushered the two, now crying, women into the hug and the four of them cried happy tears together.

“So, is this a yes?” Tony joked, fully knowing it was.

“Yes.”

The papers were signed as soon as they were able to compose each other enough to see what they wrote down before the tears came back for all of them.

“Hey Roo,” Tony called out. He had wanted to do this the day before but it had been a really emotional afternoon and there hadn’t been time. They were at the garage, tinkering around with scraps when Tony remembered the song and he really wanted to show it to his son. Gosh, he now got to say that.

“Yeah, dad?” Peter smiled as he rolled the chair to sit beside Tony.

“I wanted to show you this song,” Tony began searching for the song (that he added to his personal playlist) on his Starkphone, scrolling down the many rock songs. 

“I wanted to show it to you yesterday, but well, you know what happened... Aha!” He exclaimed as he found the song.

Out of the speakers of the phone, the first guitar notes of ‘ [ My boy ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35BKdh4CoQ8) ’ sounded and Tony couldn’t help but glance at  _ his  _ boy, who looked up at him with a mix of confusion and fondness in his eyes.

**_He ain't got my smile, that don't bother me a bit_ **

Memories began flooding Tony’s mind as he remembered Peter’s small smiles whenever Tony praised him, the happy ‘Aha’s when Peter found out the problem with his projects, Peter’s laughs whenever DUM-E did something funny, the laughs they both shared over TV shows or their laughs just because they could.

**_He's got somebody else's eyes I'm seeing myself in_ **

Those big, brown doe eyes that Tony just couldn’t say no to, those eyes that looked up at him as if he were the greatest superhero out there (Believe it or not, Tony was insecure in that area), ignoring the many errors he had committed throughout the years, Peter seemed to ignore all of that and look up at him.

Said eyes were looking up at Tony with that same expression, although it was still confused. Tony couldn’t help it and brought the kid to a quick side hug and kissed his forehead. The action was not unwelcomed by the boy but it was clear he was getting more confused. Tony just smiled at him and motioned for Peter to keep listening.

**_I'm holding on to every moment, God knows I've missed a few_ **

As Tony watched Morgan learn how to roll by herself, sit straight, crawl around the house, talk, walk, and run, Tony couldn’t help but think of the boy he had lost and imagine him that small and learning how to do it.

**_The day we met I knew I had some catching up to do_ **

The memory of when he had gone to Peter’s and May’s apartment came. The brown haired young boy who had at first been shocked about seeing him and then after mentioning he was spiderman had changed to a more professional one. The boy that when Tony had asked why he did what he did, his answer had hit Tony and there had been a glint of emotion in his eyes Tony could recognize as regret and guilt given that he had been feeling that way. The boy who had made him, a man with (supposedly) no emotions and a distaste towards others, especially if they were strangers, sit on his bed and pat his shoulder before leaving the hand there for almost half a minute. The boy who had turned him down for  _ homework. _

The boy had caught his attention since the beginning. 

**_He ain't my blood, ain't got my name_ **

**_But if he did, I'd feel the same_ **

And he did, it didn’t matter if Peter was Peter Parker or Peter Stark or Peter Parker-Star or any other last name, he was his kid, either way, a name wouldn’t change his feelings towards him.

By then, Peter started catching up on the song and his eyes began watering as he looked at his father with those big brown doe eyes of his.

**_I wasn't there for his first steps_ **

**_But I ain't missed a ball game yet_ **

**_And that ain't ever gonna change_ **

**_I could never walk away_ **

Peter gasped and as soon as Tony opened his greeting arms, he turned and practically crawled into the older men’s lap. Immediately, Tony’s hands wrapped around the sobbing boy, his non-metal arm running through the brown soft curls as he rocked them both. It hurt him that the boy was crying but he wanted Peter to know how much he loved him, how much he was glad he was his.

**_Yeah, he's my son and that's my choice_ **

**_He ain't my blood but he's my, he's my boy_ **

Tony wasn’t one to sing, but he wanted Peter to know he meant it, so he joined in on the chorus, whispering the words in Peter's ears and tightening his hold at the same time the kid’s did. If his voice cracked many times throughout the words, neither of them mentioned it.

**_It hit me like a train, the first time he called me dad_ **

Tony could remember it as clearly. It had been after one of those horrible nightmares they had, Tony had woken up as soon as he heard Peter’s horrifying scream, and before Peter had stopped screaming, Tony was already at the door.

_ “Hey, Peter. It’s okay buddy. It was just a dream, you are safe, we are all safe.” Tony had repeated as he held Peter’s hand, not wanting Peter to panic further given that if he was still stuck in his own mind and therefore touching him more than necessary could do more worse than good. It took a while but as Peter came to be, he turned towards Tony and the tears running down his cheek spilled faster. _

_ “D-dad?” Peter had choked out with a hoarse voice, panic evident in every syllable he said. _

_ “I’m here buddy, I’m here,” he assured, as his heart skipped a beat and his stomach did a somersault, pulling the boy to his chest. _

The next morning Peter had apologized, but after Tony assured him that he didn’t mind but was actually happy about it, Peter started calling him ‘Dad’.

**_In a three stick figure crayon picture with all of us holding hands_ **

**_His mama said, "I understand if it's too soon for this"_ **

**_I didn't let her finish_ **

**_I took it to the kitchen and I stuck it on the fridge, yeah_ **

On father’s day, two months after Peter started calling him ‘dad’, Tony hadn’t expected a present, but when Peter came towards him sheepishly with blushed cheeks and a handcrafted pencil holder painted to resemble Iron Man that said ‘You might be Iron Man to the world, but you are my superdad’. 

Peter rambled that his school always did small projects for father’s day, so Ben had been the one to receive these gifts from Peter. After Ben died, Peter stopped doing these projects until that year, when he wanted to make one for Tony. He also added that Tony could not use it if he didn’t want it or even throw it away. 

Tony took the gift away from Peter, placed it on the table, and placed his pencils, successfully shutting Peter up. Tony made sure to use it every day.

**_He ain't my blood, ain't got my name_ **

**_But if he did, I'd feel the same_ **

**_I wasn't there for his first steps_ **

**_But I ain't missed a ball game yet_ **

**_And that ain't ever gonna change_ **

**_I could never walk away_ **

**_Yeah, he's my son and that's my choice_ **

**_He ain't my blood but he's my, he's my boy_ **

(A/N: Tony was totally crying with Peter at this point…so am I so I’m in no position to judge…)

**_He's Saturday morning cartoons_ **

Memories of Morgan and Peter cuddling on the couch on weekends’ early mornings while watching a Disney movie for like the tenth time, flickered through Tony’s mind.

**_He's, "Hey, can I sleep in your room?"_ **

The first months after Thanos and after Tony was discharged from the hospital, Tony would hear this sentence more often than not and every time Peter said it with his cracking voice full of tears shattered Tony’s heart. Even months after what happened, Tony would hear the same sentence more often than he would like, but every time, he just pulled the boy to the bed, let him snuggle against his side, and soothed the boy until he fell into a dreamless and peaceful sleep.

**_He's bigger than the plans I had_ **

**_He's making me a better man_ **

Gosh was this part not true. Before Peter, Tony wouldn’t even think twice before drinking two whole bottles of whatever type of alcohol he had near; Make others, minus a few selected people, feel as if they knew less than he did; Think he could boss everyone around. But with the kid, it was different, and it scared him.

It scared him so much he had pushed the boy away for two months and tried not to interact with him as much as possible. After The Vulture happened and Tony had been scared for the kid, scared he would die, scared he would hurt himself, hurt he would end up as traumatized as he was.

So he tried to stop the kid by taking the suit away and as far as he could from him. It hadn’t worked, and by the time he realized this, it was too late, the kid had gotten hurt and it was possible all his fault. He gave the suit back to the boy and after a long time of talking to Pepper (and then May after she found out about spidey) and himself, he realized he did want the kid close, so he gave him the internship.

Since then, Tony changed for the better. He stopped drinking, he stopped his egocentric heart and really opened his closed self to others, and let himself relax and laugh and smile more often. He let himself care about people he didn't think he could or was simply afraid to open up his little circle.

Tony had always been afraid to be a father, afraid to let an innocent being down, just as his father did all those years ago when he was by his side. He was afraid when Pepper told him she was pregnant, frightened that he wouldn’t be a good father and become his father. But as he held his daughter and watched her grow, he realized it felt the same way it had felt with Peter. Without realizing it, he had been a father for a very long time.

Peter had revolved Tony’s world around and he would be forever grateful for it.

**_He ain't my blood, ain't got my name_ **

**_But if he did, I'd feel the same_ **

**_I wasn't there for his first steps_ **

**_But I ain't missed a ball game yet_ **

**_And that ain't ever gonna change_ **

**_I could never walk away_ **

**_Yeah, he's my son and that's my choice_ **

**_He ain't my blood but he's my, he's my boy_ **

**_Yeah, he's my, he's my boy_ **

  
  


As the final and soft guitar string notes played, Tony gently pushed Peter out of his shoulder so he could look at him in the eyes. Said eyes were glistening with tears and a special fondness, and Tony couldn’t help but feel grateful that it was directed to him. Tony cupped Peter’s face and whipped his tears away.

“I love you kid,” Tony smiled, feeling his chest bubble with love,

“I love you too dad.”

**Author's Note:**

> *** I thought on how this would work and I came up with a good way for this to work. Happy took May back and forth to the hospital, Tony took Peter to school and would wait on the Tower until it was time to pick him up. Pepper and Morgan would arrive later in the day unless Pepper had a meeting and Morgan had to stay with either Happy or Tony.
> 
> Thanks for reading till the end, did you like it? I know I cried while writing it.
> 
> Remember that this author appreciates and loves Kudos and reading comments.
> 
> Talk or scream at me, I'm (mostly) always available:  
> Tumblr: @thisisnotourlasthunt  
> Instagram: @thisisnotourlasthunt_
> 
> (You can send also send me Prompts, I'm open to it :D)
> 
> Stay safe!


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